George Clooney Shocked That Foreign Press Would Rather Ask Him About Syria Than About Ben Affleck Playing Batman

Five days into modern civilization’s “Ben Affleck as Batman” era, most of the free world has weighed in on the controversial Batfleck casting. In an attempt to quell the rants of traditionally angry Internet users, Affleck’s Dark Knight predecessor Val Kilmer urged Twitter to “Give [Ben] a chance!” (Fellow former Batman Adam West resisted so bold a statement, simply reminding Affleck to remember deodorant before donning Batman's latex suit.) Most recently, Affleck’s Good Will Hunting co-writer/co-star/co-Oscar winner Matt Damon has spoken out in defense of his longtime friend.

“I think it will be great. It will be terrific,” Matt Damon said, before clarifying that he is well aware of any acting limitations Affleck may have. “I know there are a lot of people grousing on the internet. . . You know, he’s not playing King Lear. It’s Batman!” (Miles away Affleck likely muttered, “O.K., we get it,” while reading this backhanded comment on his laptop.) Damon continued: “[That's] certainly within his skill set. If anybody sawArgo or The Town, and all the work he's been doing lately, it’s way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman! Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, at the Venice Film Festival, another Affleck friend and former Batman, George Clooney, was perfectly positioned for a question about his thoughts on the Argofilmmaker inheriting the superhero role. While speaking at a press conference for Gravity, the Alfonso Cuarón astronaut thriller he co-stars in with Sandra Bullock, he waited for journalists to broach the subject.

And waited. And waited! He waited through the requisite “How did you get in shape?” questions. (Carrying a 40-pound three-year-old for Bullock, Bikram yoga and drinking for the quick-witted Clooney.) He waited through the requisite “Did you do any research?” questions. (Calling the International Space Station for her, more drinking for him.) Finally, when a reporter dared stray from the film to ask aGravity-unrelated question—about a possible U.S. intervention in Syria—Clooney burst. “I actually thought you would ask me about Ben Affleck playing Batman,” he deadpanned. “But no, it's Syria.”

For the record, after Clooney deflected the question, Venice press did not bother asking Clooney about Miley Cyrus's V.M.A.’s performance. And perhaps most impressively, they did not try to bait the actor or his co-star into commenting on twerking either. Your move, American “journalists.”